The Association for the Blind (AFTB) was established in 1936 by a dedicated group of volunteers and members of the American Foundation for the Blind.  It was chartered and incorporated in April 1937.

Desiring a permanent home, AFTB purchased 41 Pitt Street in 1957, which made expansion possible and gave AFTB the ability to serve the entire Tri-County area.  Job opportunities for the blind over the years have included chair caning, medical transcription and light industry.  Programs have included beep ball, bowling and other recreational and informal education classes.

In June 2002, the Association moved to a rental location at 1071 Morrison Drive, which has given greater visibility to all aspects of the operation.  The sale of its Pitt Street building allowed the Association to establish a significant endowment to secure the future of services to vision impaired people in the lowcountry. 

Collaboration with the Veterans Administration began in 2003.  In March 2004, the Feldberg Low Vision Center of the Storm Eye Institute relocated to the Association's facility, affording patients a single location from which to receive low vision services.  Most recently, the Association began offering computer classes in July 2006 in collaboration with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.